Cattle Market Pulse

Washington Co. Cattle Sale Market Report

Springfield, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, December 18, 2023

790 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Washington Co. Cattle Sale report →

light 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $220.31/cwt +28.45 vs last sale · ≈ $1,829/hd at 830 lb · 148 head
light 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $197.38/cwt +37.75 vs last sale · ≈ $1,807/hd at 916 lb · 45 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $203.04/cwt -10.62 vs last sale · ≈ $1,179/hd at 581 lb · 44 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 790 1,107 627
Feeder cattle 720 1,066 589
Slaughter cattle 70 36 38
Replacement cattle — 5 —

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Monday feeder steers sold 3.00 to 5.00 higher. Feeder heifers sold steady to 2.00 higher. There was good demand for feeder classes. Slaughter cows and bulls sold 2.00 to 4.00 higher. There was good demand for slaughter classes.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
290 290 1 250.00 $250.00 $725 —
325–340 fancy 333 2 301.00–304.00 $302.47 $1,007 +27.47
345 345 1 271.00 $271.00 $935 +28.41
365–380 373 2 279.00–281.00 $279.98 $1,044 +10.48
400–445 fancy 431 7 280.00–290.00 $284.02 $1,224 +13.02
440–448 446 6 261.00–274.00 $270.50 $1,206 +3.19
455–485 474 10 261.00–268.00 $263.71 $1,250 +27.11
470–480 fancy 475 2 275.00–279.00 $276.98 $1,316 +24.99
505–542 521 8 225.00–241.00 $235.04 $1,225 +1.67
510–546 value added 531 8 262.00–270.00 $264.41 $1,404 +22.09
555–590 572 5 223.00–231.00 $227.96 $1,304 -2.46
555–576 value added 573 7 240.00–242.00 $240.28 $1,377 +2.85
602–645 629 18 215.00–231.00 $226.33 $1,424 +7.03
627–646 value added 638 22 234.00 $234.00 $1,493 +7.17
691–695 692 7 213.50–221.00 $214.58 $1,485 +4.36
705 value added 705 2 214.00 $214.00 $1,509 +5.72
710–740 723 5 200.00–206.00 $202.41 $1,463 +14.02
757–760 758 3 180.00–190.00 $186.66 $1,415 +1.04
785 value added 785 1 201.00 $201.00 $1,578 +1.00
815–844 value added 829 126 222.00–227.20 $224.64 $1,862 +31.52
811–848 836 22 192.50–200.50 $195.52 $1,635 +17.50
875 875 1 171.00 $171.00 $1,496 -3.35
915 value added 915 43 199.00 $199.00 $1,821 +29.60
925–935 930 2 158.00–167.00 $162.48 $1,511 +19.13
995 995 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,791 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
260 260 1 229.00 $229.00 $595 —
375 375 1 241.00 $241.00 $904 +1.00
420 420 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,050 +4.00
500–545 523 2 200.00–213.00 $206.22 $1,079 -13.78
598 598 6 185.00 $185.00 $1,106 -20.00
615 615 1 201.00 $201.00 $1,236 +1.00
665 665 1 201.00 $201.00 $1,337 +23.50
700–745 723 2 150.00–160.00 $154.84 $1,119 —
838–845 840 4 165.00–170.00 $168.74 $1,417 +13.31
1090 1090 1 106.00 $106.00 $1,155 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 295 1 137.50 $137.50 $406 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
235 235 1 202.00 $202.00 $475 —
250 250 1 201.00 $201.00 $502 —
325–335 332 3 200.00–216.00 $205.39 $682 -1.61
365–395 374 6 209.00–218.00 $211.99 $793 +3.38
405–435 fancy 422 6 226.00–229.00 $228.15 $963 —
400–448 423 17 205.00–223.00 $216.75 $917 +4.76
455 fancy 455 2 229.00 $229.00 $1,042 +7.75
450–495 472 7 211.00–221.00 $214.28 $1,011 +6.43
500–547 526 27 199.00–211.00 $208.05 $1,094 +1.80
512–540 value added 526 13 213.00–218.00 $213.75 $1,124 -5.90
570–576 value added 576 14 208.00–211.00 $210.79 $1,214 -9.15
551–596 583 30 190.00–205.00 $199.43 $1,163 -6.53
601–633 615 22 181.00–198.00 $189.31 $1,164 +0.72
675 675 3 168.00–169.00 $168.33 $1,136 -2.67
696 value added 696 10 196.00 $196.00 $1,364 +4.56
700–710 707 3 160.00–170.00 $165.00 $1,167 +14.98
710–730 value added 720 2 170.00–179.00 $174.56 $1,257 -7.14
755–765 759 4 165.00–170.00 $167.74 $1,273 +26.27
810 810 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,296 -2.10
834 value added 834 11 182.00 $182.00 $1,518 —
855–895 875 2 133.00–136.00 $134.53 $1,177 —
900–920 910 2 120.00–129.00 $124.45 $1,132 +1.66
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250 250 1 184.00 $184.00 $460 +4.00
335 335 1 192.00 $192.00 $643 -4.00
385 385 1 192.00 $192.00 $739 +7.00
405 405 1 193.00 $193.00 $782 +12.00
470 470 1 201.00 $201.00 $945 +9.49
505–540 520 5 190.00–195.00 $191.78 $997 -3.22
570–590 580 2 181.00–188.00 $184.56 $1,070 -9.04
630 630 1 174.00 $174.00 $1,096 -1.00
690 690 1 165.00 $165.00 $1,138 -2.43
725 725 1 130.00 $130.00 $942 —
795 795 1 151.00 $151.00 $1,200 —
825 825 1 115.00 $115.00 $949 -30.00
880–885 883 2 117.00–122.00 $119.51 $1,055 +6.51
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1260 1260 1 114.00 $114.00 $1,436 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
235 235 1 233.00 $233.00 $548 —
340 340 1 270.00 $270.00 $918 —
380–391 fancy 388 4 294.00–295.00 $294.76 $1,144 —
410 fancy 410 2 290.00–294.00 $292.00 $1,197 +27.00
410–435 423 2 258.00–269.00 $263.66 $1,115 +11.66
470 fancy 470 2 261.00 $261.00 $1,227 +7.00
450–485 477 6 232.00–247.50 $241.03 $1,150 +0.64
500 fancy 500 5 250.00–255.00 $251.60 $1,258 —
500–540 517 11 233.00–245.00 $242.57 $1,254 +11.56
555–585 571 9 221.00–234.00 $226.93 $1,296 +18.50
600–645 616 18 204.00–224.00 $214.11 $1,319 +33.11
650–675 663 2 190.00–196.00 $192.94 $1,279 +11.43
745 745 2 150.00–152.00 $151.00 $1,125 +1.00
748 fancy 748 4 170.00 $170.00 $1,272 +1.80
790 790 1 152.00 $152.00 $1,201 +22.00
810–845 827 3 143.00–160.00 $150.94 $1,248 -0.06
925 925 1 141.00 $141.00 $1,304 —
980 980 1 125.00 $125.00 $1,225 ±0.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
410 410 1 232.00 $232.00 $951 +1.00
490 490 1 209.00 $209.00 $1,024 -12.00
505 505 1 221.00 $221.00 $1,116 —
562–577 566 8 205.00–213.00 $207.04 $1,172 +20.54
685 685 1 186.00 $186.00 $1,274 —
725 725 1 114.00 $114.00 $826 —
820 820 1 130.00 $130.00 $1,066 —
870 870 2 110.00 $110.00 $957 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
935–1300 1159 80-85% 5 81.00–86.50 $84.01 $974 -8.98
1025–1445 1210 80-85% 15 89.00–95.50 $91.83 $1,111 +15.95
1220–1330 1275 80-85% 2 96.50–102.50 $99.63 $1,270 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
685–1060 901 85-90% 5 70.50–77.00 $74.58 $672 —
760–1040 968 85-90% 9 79.00–86.50 $83.45 $808 +8.17
950–985 968 85-90% 2 89.00–95.00 $92.05 $891 +16.77
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1615 1615 75-80% 1 82.00 $82.00 $1,324 -4.43
1470–1845 1629 75-80% 7 88.00–95.00 $91.54 $1,491 +5.11
1670 1670 75-80% 2 99.00 $99.00 $1,653 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1015–1360 1188 2 105.00–110.00 $107.86 $1,281 —
1735–1910 1834 4 113.00–120.00 $118.08 $2,166 —
1865–1915 1890 2 122.00–124.00 $123.01 $2,325 —

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Reading this report

What does "Medium and Large 1" mean?

USDA feeder grades describe frame size and muscle thickness, not quality of the individual animal. "Medium and Large" is the frame score; the number is muscle (1 = heaviest muscled). "Medium and Large 1–2" pens mix both muscle scores — common across the Southeast.

What is $/cwt?

Dollars per hundredweight — per 100 lb of animal. A 500-lb calf at $450/cwt brings 5 × $450 = $2,250. Lighter cattle usually bring more per cwt but less per head.

Why are some prices per head?

Bred cows, cow-calf pairs, and some replacement classes sell by the head, not by weight. We show those exactly as USDA reports them — a $/head figure is never converted into $/cwt on this site.

Where do these numbers come from?

From the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service's Livestock Market News — federal reporters at the sale. We publish each report in full and link the official USDA document at the top of the page.